Keystone, South Dakota Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Keystone, South Dakota
Town
Business district in Keystone (March 2012)
Motto(s): "Home of Mount Rushmore"
Location in Pennington County and the state of South Dakota
Country	United States
State	South Dakota
County	Pennington
Area
• Total	3.00 sq mi (7.77 km²)
• Land	3.00 sq mi (7.77 km²)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km²)
Elevation	4,554 ft (1,388 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	240
• Density	80.00/sq mi (30.89/km²)
Time zone	UTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code	57751
Area code(s)	605
FIPS code	46-33820
GNIS feature ID	1267444

Keystone is a small town in the Black Hills area of Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. In 2020, about 240 people lived there.

Keystone started as a mining town in 1883. Over time, it changed into a popular place for tourists. This is because it is very close to the famous Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Millions of people visit Mount Rushmore each year, and Keystone helps serve their needs. The town was badly damaged by a big flood in 1972.

The town got its name from a local mine. The mine was likely named after the "keystone" symbol used by a group called the Masons.

Where is Keystone Located?
How Many People Live in Keystone?
- Keystone's Population in 2010
Fun Things to Do in Keystone
Schools in Keystone
Photo Gallery
See also

Where is Keystone Located?

Keystone is in the Black Hills region. The United States Census Bureau says the town covers an area of about 3 square miles (7.77 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

How Many People Live in Keystone?

The number of people living in Keystone has changed over the years.

In 1980, there were 295 people.
In 1990, there were 232 people.
In 2000, there were 311 people.
In 2010, there were 337 people.
In 2020, there were 240 people.

Keystone's Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 337 people living in Keystone. These people lived in 153 homes. About 23.5% of these homes had children under 18. The average age of people in Keystone was 42.8 years old.

Fun Things to Do in Keystone

Keystone has several interesting places for visitors to enjoy.

Black Hills Central Railroad

One popular attraction is the Black Hills Central Railroad. This train line was first built in 1900 to carry gold from the Black Hills. Today, it offers fun rides for passengers. You can ride on trains pulled by old steam locomotives.

National Presidential Wax Museum

Another cool place to visit is The National Presidential Wax Museum. Here, you can see wax figures of every U.S. president. There are also wax figures of important Native American leaders, inventors, and other famous people from around the world. These amazing wax figures were made by a famous sculptor named Katherine Stubergh. She also made wax figures for movies like Gone With the Wind (1939) and House of Wax (1953).

Connection to Little House on the Prairie

Did you know that Carrie Ingalls, the sister of Little House on the Prairie author Laura Ingalls Wilder, lived in Keystone? She spent a lot of her adult life there with her husband, David N. Swanzey, and his children. Her older sister, Mary Ingalls, also lived with them. Both Carrie and Mary passed away in Keystone. However, they were buried in their family's burial plot in De Smet.